Playful Bodies, Technology and Community

In this work stream we investigate ‘science fictions’ and the relationships between technology, popular culture and the body. We will be working with players, artists and online communities, while drawing on digital game studies and critical disability studies approaches. Disability communities – critical perspectives on mainstream popular culture will be explored.

Building on the project themes of embodiment, play, performance and agency this work stream will address historical and contemporary relationships between emerging technologies, associated social practices, and the body.

Using audience and player studies approaches, mainstream representations of disability and technology will be interrogated and disability communities critical perspectives on mainstream popular culture will be explored. One element of this WS will focus specifically on social media and online community affiliation.

Collaborative game design, and public play (in partnership with Accentuate) will be used to explore histories of technology, social practices and disabled communities. This work will draw on games studies literature informed by Boal’s work on politicised theatre (e.g. Frasca 2001).

One output will be a co-designed Alternate Reality Game, based on a specific historical institution (‘The Guild of the Brave Poor Things’). This stream will also benefit from the input of Helen Kennedy (Brighton) who beings expertise in gaming and design, and well developed networks within the creative industries and historian Steve Poole (UWE).

What we’re tweeting

Dave Lupton, aka Crippen disabled cartoonist, has been engaged in the disability arts movement for more decades than he cares to mention. Following on from the publication of a showcase of Crippen’s cartoons last month we introduce his take on the language associated with disability from a Social Model perspective, in the run up to announcing a DAO project offering mentoring for up to 4 disabled cartoonists.

South London Gallery is looking to recruit two new full-time assistants as part of a 12-month training programme for people beginning careers in the arts and cultural sector.£19k salary, applications due 16 September.